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T. G. SPRINGER.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS TOR MANUFACTURING GAS.

A w W 7 B. a m W im m mmml m m \W-m-m -m-mwm h W MQ M M A \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\M\ ll means of cheap material, such as cheap fuel,

t a superior quality of heating-gas is produced.

' hydrocarbons, whereby a large volume of low- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE G. SPRINGER, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 361,190, dated April 12, 1887.

Application filed October 28, 1886. Serial No. 217,469. (No model.)

.To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE G. SPRING-ER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new'and useful Improvements in Process of and Appatus for Manufacturing Gas; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to the process of and apparatus for manufacturing gas, more particularly adapted for motive power and heating purposes.

The object of the invention is to greatly cheapen the manufacture of superior heatinggas, by first producing a low grade gas by for heating up one or more deco mposi ng-chambers containing refractory material, and then using cheap hydrocarbons, like petroleum or heavy oils or tar, for decomposition, together with steam in excess, in contact with said acid and hydrogen, and then converting such resulting low'grade gases into marsh-gas and carbonic oxide by passing them through a converting'body of incandescent hard carbon. Another object is to provide for economically utilizing the gaseous products from cheap low-grade fuel and also the waste gaseous products from thehigh-grade hard carbon for heat-' ing alarge body of refractory material (in one or more compartments) to serve for superheating steam and decomposingit, together with cheap grade gas is made at small expense, and then to convert such gas into high-gradeiheatinggas, composed of marsh-gas and carbonic oxide, by passing it through a body of incandescent high-grade hard carbon, whereby but a small per cent. of expensive fuel is used, while In carrying out my invention a low-grade fuel, such as cheap bituminous coal or any kind of slack coal or wood,is used in a Siemens or other gas-producer for making cheap fuelgas, which is burned while hot by means of a suitable air-supply in a large chamber containing refractory brickwork, which I call my superheating and decomppsing chamber;

and at the same time I heat a comparatively small body of highgradc hard carbon, such as anthracite coal or hard coke, to incandeseence in a second fuel-chamber, by means of an airblast, andburn the resulting gaseous products in the said brick-work superheating and decomposing chamber, and store the heatin the refractory brick. This second fuel-chamber, containing the body of incandescent hard carbon, constitutes my gas-converting chamber or furnace.

The brick-work superheating .and decomposing chamber and the body of hard carbon in the gas-converting furnace having been heated to the desired temperaturathe airblasts are shut off and steam is superheated and thendecomposed in conjunction with a limited supply of cheap hydrocarbon oil in contact with the hot brick-work, so as to form a large volume of carbonic acid and hydrogen,

and such gases are then passed through the incandescent hard carbon and thereby con verted into carbonic oxide and light carbureted hydrogen, which is passed off for storage or immediate use.

in one structure separated by partition-Walls,-

as shown, and the structure may contain two sets of superheaters, G, two converting-furnaces, B, and one large producer-furnace, A, as shown in Fig. 2. If preferred, however, the chambers may be built in separate structures, each inclosed in a tight iron jacket, in the well-known manner. The chambers are built of fire-brick, and when united in one structure are surrounded by one tight iron shell or jacket.

The producer-furnace A may be built large enough to supply two sets of snperheating and decomposing chambers, as shown in Fig. 2,and is provided at the top with fuel-passage (0, having cap a", and with the gas-flue b b and Valve-box it, having valve-scat t. A conical valve, 0, having an operating stem and lever, is arranged in box a to close fine I). The partition-wall O separates furnace A from superheater and decomposer H, and up through such wall is passed the air-blast pipe at, having a bent nozzle, in, arranged in flue b, and opening toward chamber H, for drawing off the producer-gas and forcing it into chamber H, and there causing its combustion. The air is heated by passage through pipe at in the wall 0.

The steam superheater and decomposer G is divided by partition B into vertical chambers H and H, and chamber H is divided into upper and lower compartments by perforated brick arches k k, which also serve to support the brick checkerwork-with which the chamber is filled. Chamber H has at its bottom a perforated arch, Z, for supporting its brickwork. Chambers H and H are connected at the base below arches k Z by passage 0 in wall R. Air-blast pipes L and L connect with chamber H at the top and below arch k, as shown. Supply-pipesec for hydrocarbon oil connect with the base of chamber Hand below its arch k. Chamber H has at the top a pas sage, h, and tight lid or cap or. Asteam-supply pipe, 8, connects with the top of chamber H, and such chamber is provided at its top with passage h, having lid or cap 00'. The converting-furnace B is separated from cham ber H by partition-wall T, and is provided at the base with the usual grate, c, ash-pit w, and door (I. At the top it is provided with fuel-opening h", having lid 00. A gas-flue,1\*, connects the top of chamber H with the top of furnace B. An air-blast pipe, D, and gas take-off pipe 0 connect with ash-pit w of furnace B. 111 practice the air-blast pipes will connect with a blower or pump, and gas takeoff pipe 0 will connect with a seal and washbox. (Not here shown.) A partition-wall, P, separates the two sets of superheating and decomposing chambers H H and the two furnaces B, as shown in Fig. 2.

The operation is as follows: A fire is made in producer A, and it is supplied with cheap low-grade fuel to produce a cheap producergas for heating up the refractory brick-work in chambers H and H. When the gas flows off freely from the producer, valve 0 and lid :0 are opened and the hot gas is burned by asupply of air from nozzle m in chamber H. The products pass down and are given a second supply of air bypipe L below arch k, for producing complete combustion, and the hot products pass through chamber H, through passage 7, and then up through chamber H, and out through passage h, at a low temperature, having imparted their heat to the brick-work. At the commencement of the operation a fire is also kindled in furnace B, and it is gradually fed with high-grade hard coal during the admission of the air-blast by pipe D till a deep body of incandescent fuel is formed. The gaseous products, passing off from the fuel in chamber B, flow through flue N into the top of chamber H,where they are burned by blasts of air admitted through pipes L L, and aid in highly heating the refractory brick-work in chambers H H. The brick-work in these chambers is to be heated to a very high degree, as the chambers are to be used for superheating steam and decomposing it in conjunction with a regulated and limited supply of oil. The high-grade hard carbon in chamber B having been heated to incaudescence, and the chambers of refractory brickwork having been heated to the desired high temperature, the air-blasts are shutoff, valve 0 is closed, and the lids it, 00, m, and 00 are tightly closed; then steam is admitted by pipe 8 into the top of chamber 11 and superheated by passage downward through the heated brickwvork. It flows through passageiyinto chamber H, where there is admitted a limited and regulated supply of hydrocarbon oil by pipe 6 or e, or both, as desired, the oil being in suitable proportion to form,by decomposition with the steam, carbonic acid and hydrogen. This mixture of gases is passed through line N and down into contact with the incandescent hard carbon, where the carbonic acid is fully converted into pure carbonic oxide and the hydrogen is partially carbureted. The completed gas, after passage through the fuel in chamber B, is finally conducted off by pipe 0 to the seal and wash box.

It has heretofore been proposed to decompose steam in a retort and pass the resulting gas, together with oil, through a retort containing anthracite coal for making illuminating-gas. It has also been proposed to make illuminating-gas by passing steam and oil directly into a retort containing heated carbon; but these processes differ from my invention, the distinguishing features of which are stated below.

It will be understood that the particular object of using the producer-furnace A is that thereby a cheap low-grade fuel may be advantageously utilized for highly heating a large body or bodies of refractory brick-work, in which oil with steam in excess are decomposed into hydrogen and carbonic acid, while such low-grade fuel would not answer, on account of its impurities and other defects, for decomposing steam or for converting the above-mentioned carbonic acid and hydrogen into highgrade heating-gas, as such fuel would foul the gas with sulphur and other impurities.

It will also be understood that the particular object of chamber B, with its body of highgrade hard carbon, is to convert the hot lowgrade gases resulting from the decomposition of steam and oil into pure high-grade watergas with a comparatively small consumption of the more expensive high-grade fuel. It will be seen that since the steam is decom Ilj posed in conjunction with cheap hydrocarbon oil in the large body of brick work,which has been mostly heated by producer-gas, and that the gases resulting fro m the decomposed steam and oil are passed in a highly-heated state into contact with the hard carbon in chamber B, such expensive fuel is consumed very slowly, and thus a large saving in the fuel account is effected.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s'.

1. The process of manufacturing gas,which in a body of refractory material, then deeomposing hydrocarbon with steam in excess by passing them in contact with such heated refractory material into hydrogen and carbonic acid, then passing such gases through the body of incandescent fuel, and thereby converting them into marsh-gas and carbonic oxide.

2. The process of manufacturing gas,which consists in highly heating a body of refractory material by the combustion of producer-gas, and also heating to incandescence a body of hard carbon, then forming a mixture of hydrogen and carbonic acid by first super-heating steam in contact with part of the refractory material, and then adding hydrocarbon oil in suitable proportion to decompose the steam into carbonic acid and hydrogen, and then converting the resulting gases into marsh-gas and carbonic oxide by passing them through the body of incandescent hard carbon.

through the heated carbonaceous material to convert the carbonic-acid gas into carbonic oxide and the hydrogen into light carburete hydrogen. 7

4. In apparatus for manufacturing gas, the c0mbinati'on,with a gas-producer and a chamber containing refractory material for decomposing hydrocarbon oil and steam and having supply-pipes therefor, of a gas-converting furnace and suitable connection, as described.

5. In apparatus for manufacturing gas, the combination of a producer, a chamber containing refractory material and having a steam superheating compartment, and steam and oil supply pipes, and a gas-converting furnace.

6. In apparatus for manufacturing gas, a decomposing-chamber containing refractory material provided with a steam superheating compartment having a steam-supply pipe at the top and a decomposing-compartment having an oil-supply pipe, in combination with a producer and a converting-furnace, both. connecting with its top, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THEODORE G. SPRINGER.

lVitnesses:

IRA J. GEER, E. B. CLARK. 

